Salzburg director: “Women often have to be twice as good”
“Feminism has become a fashionable term,” says Salzburg director Gabriele Neudecker in an interview about her new historical ORF documentary “Gräfin -Ordensfrau – Befreierin”. The film was shot in the city and province of Salzburg.
SALZBURG CITY, KOESTENDORF. Two Salzburg women who write: Director Gabriele Neudecker writes screenplays. Maria Theresia Ledóchowska wrote speeches and plays. What separates them: A century. In an interview with the BezirksBlätter, the Salzburg director Gabriele Neudecker talks about what connects her with the main character of her ORF documentary “Gräfin – Ordensfrau – Befreierin” Maria Theresia Ledóchowska, what separates them and why feminism is still urgently needed for her today.
If you had to explain to a stranger in a nutshell who the main character in your documentary Maria Theresia Ledóchowska was, what would you say?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: An incredibly exciting character who moved a lot around the turn of the century. She left her carefree life as a noble lady-in-waiting to dedicate herself to freeing slaves.
She and Maria Theresia Ledóchowska are both from Salzburg. If you compare both lives, what are the biggest differences?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: In her time it was highly unusual for a woman to presume to write. They had to start writing under a pseudonym in order for their writings to be printed at all. Not only did she write, she also dared to appear in public at the time. She founded a printing company, was also a manager and head of the company. All of that would be a lot easier these days. It’s still not easy, of course, but I no longer have to overcome the hurdles of this art. Being a director is also a profession with very male connotations. You notice that when you’re standing on a set and people ask: Where’s THE director? And THE director should be in his 50s and screaming, but I’m not. (laughs) At least there are more and more women directors and things are happening. But of course it was much harder for her.
What do you and Maria Theresia Ledóchowska have in common?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: I don’t want to presume to name similarities here. She dedicated her whole life to helping poor people with such great dedication. She has tried to raise funds to buy people out of slavery. It’s hard for me to say that we have something in common there. But I think the joy of writing unites us.
When you were working on the film, did you actually dislike Maria Theresia Ledóchowska?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: I’m actually a tolerant person. I see you in your time. Of course, in her writings she uses terms that are by no means allowed to be used today. However, she did not use the terms with malicious intent at the time. Of course you have to explain that in the film.
In your opinion, was Maria Theresia Ledochowska one of the first feminists?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: Independent of her, during her lifetime women began to fight for the right to vote and a right to work and their own money. Ledóchowska was a conservative woman. She was not a fighter who was at the forefront. She was not a worker but a noble daughter. Nevertheless, one has to say that it has achieved a great deal. She hasn’t championed the word feminist and has always insisted that genders are not equal. Has she constantly broken gender roles herself? Historians would have to answer whether one can call her a feminist. But she has made a huge difference through her writings and speeches, and has encouraged other women to take action.
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Are you a feminist yourself?
IGABRIELE NEUDECKER: I would call myself a feminist. I got to know everything in my job. I studied with three small children. I know the problems a woman faces. Inequalities still exist. A lot of directors call themselves feminists. But they are not. When it comes to grants that are awarded, they themselves are at the forefront. They don’t give a damn whether there’s a young colleague who’s just graduated or whether she’s a mother. It has become something of a fashionable term that many intellectuals adorn themselves with.
If you look at how much has changed for the better for women since the time of Maria Theresia Ledóchowska, is feminism even necessary today?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: It’s easy for some people to say that feminism is no longer needed. But that’s not true. Women who are in the workforce and then have their first child notice how quickly they are thrown back into old patterns. That they are suddenly responsible for everything, even if the man helps a little. Our system is simply built in such a way that the woman stays with the children. As a result, she will receive a lower pension later on. It would be nice if you were much more motivated that someone decided to have a child. That really should be celebrated.
How do you notice the inequality as a director?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: The women often have to be twice as good because senders often automatically choose the male director. You have to constantly prove yourself as a woman and give 120 percent. Men can take the liberty of doing something. As a director in Salzburg, I didn’t have any role models either. But these would be so important. Even in the cinematic canons, women are often forgotten a bit. There are so many women who have made really great films. Together with 52 female directors, I left the Austrian directors’ association last year. There is always talk of equality, but nothing happens. We have founded our own initiative with “#die_directors*innen”. We are looking for a different image free of authoritarian structures in the direction.
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We come back to your film: Which sentence should everyone take away with them?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: Slavery still exists today.
What do you mean exactly?
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: When you hear slavery today, you think of the last century. In reality, even today, people all over the world are still enslaved. When you think of child labor in the copper mines, when you think of child prostitution. Human rights are not fulfilled in many countries.
Thank you for the talk.
GABRIELE NEUDECKER: Thanks.
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